Towel dispensing apparatus



May 13, 1958 R. c5. BlRR 2,834,645

TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l R. G. BIRR TOWEL DISPENSING APARATUS May 13, 1958 Filed Sept. 22. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 13, 1958 R. G. BIRR Y TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 22. 1951 May 13, 1958 R. G. BlRR 2,834,645

TowEL DISPENsING APPARATUS Filed sept. 2g, 1951 y s sheets-s119614 ma OCM/m /Zigor'rqy May 13, 1958 R. G. BIRR 2,834,645

TOWEL DISPENSING .APPARATUS Filed sept. 22, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 13, 1958 R. G. BIRR 2,834,645

TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 arngs.

States TOWEL DISPENSHNG APPARATUS Application September 22, 1951, Serial No. 247,829 9 Claims. (Cl. 312-38) This invention relates to improvements in dispensing cabinets of the type known as continuous, and especially adapted for dispensing laundered fabric toweling in roll form.

In such cabinets the used toweling is taken up within the cabinet as the clean toweling is dispensed, and one of the problems in thus handling the toweling has `been to prevent slippage between the toweling and the clean towel measuring roll, and between the soiled towel takeup drive roll, and the soiled towel take-up roll, on which the soiled toweling is wound.

The problem is made more dicult by the use of a stop-mechanism with which these cabinets are equipped, to limit the amount of clean toweling whichcan be withdrawn and make the user wait for some timed interval before he can obtain more toweling.

These stop mechanisms cause the rotation of the measuring and take-up drive rolls to be suddenly stopped,

while the user is strongly pulling on the toweling. Moreover these rolls are started by the same sudden and sometimes violent pull. Both starting and stopping of the rolls therefor contribute to slippage. Although both measuring and take-up drive rolls may have sanded surfaces to reduce slippage, and although this sanding serves reasonably well for the measuring roll, such has heretofore not been the case for the take-up drive roll. This roll is in frictional contact with soiled toweling in roll form, which roll is increasing in diameter as the roll of clean toweling is decreasing in diameter. Also it is necessary that some tension be put on the soiled toweling in order to obtain suiciently tight winding of this toweling on its take-up roll or shaft. This sucient tightness is needed to improve the driving action of the take-up drive roll, and yet this tensioning of itself tends to increase slippage.

Slippage has been largely overcome herein by providing for the gradual application of driving force to the' soiled towel take-up drive roll, and by so journalling the pinch roll that no accidental separation between it and the measuring roll can occur during dispensing.

Although sanding of the measuring roll serves to substantially reduce slippage on that roll, yet there has heretofore been another cause contributory to slippage at this location. The toweling is wrapped around a pinch roll and this roll is urged against the measuring roll by down pull on the toweling. But because of a previously used slot-and-trunnion bearing construction, the pinch roll was sometimes raised even though down-pull was being exerted. The cause of slippage has been overcome herein by means herebelow described.

In addition to overcoming slippage, other objects are to generally improve the cabinet, and the features relating to these general improvements include: journalling the pinch roll on pivoted links; pivoting these links on the pivoting means for the soiled towel separator plate; pivoting the links to the bearings of soiled towel take-up drive roll; providing a pivotal connection by which the links can be simply connected and disconnected to the Patented May 13, s

tensioning means; and providing an improved mounting means for `the slide-stop of the time-stop mechanism to give more strength, facilitate attachment and prevent binding as a result of rocking.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be' -discussed in the description of the drawings and in said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through the open cabinet with the toweling in place;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the closed cabinet, loaded and ready for dispensing, taken approximately online 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. `5 is a combined front elevation and vertical longitudinal section, showing the dispensing and time-stop structures in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a plan section, taken approximately on line 4 4 of Fig. 3 with the soiled towel guard plate broken away;

Fig. 5 is aplan section, taken approximately on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal detail plan section through the left ends of the measuring and soiled towel take-up drive rolls, and their bearings, showing the improved cushion drive structures, and with the spring unwound;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the take-up drive rollwith the spring unwound and showing the squared outer terminal of the spring-winding and roll-drive shaft or trunnion;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 77 but showing the parts as when the spring is wound, and with the outer end of the spring-winding and roll-drive shaft or trunnion in section;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the driving end of the measuring roll, showing the squared outer terminal of its trunnion;

Fig, 10 is a detail sectional elevation of the dispensing f mechanism with the parts positioned as before dispensing is started `and with the cushion spring unwound;

Fig. l1 is a detail sectional elevation of the dispensing mechanism, as while the spring is being wound and the drive roll is moving, thus providing a cushioned-lag driving action for the drive roll;

Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse section through the closed cabinet and illustrating an improved stop-slide structure for the time-stop mechanism;

Fig. 134 is a horizontal detail 'section on line 1,3 13 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a horizontal detail section on line 14 14 of Fig. l2;

Fig. 15 is a horizontal detail section on line 15 15 of Fig. 12, and

Fig. 16 is an elevation showing a modification in which the journalling links for the pinch roll `are pivoted to the trunnions of the drive roll, and the guard plate is pivoted to the links.

Referring to Figs. 1 and v2. The cabinet has an outer casing having a back l and sides 2 and 3, formed of a single sheet of metal. A top portion is indicated at 4, and a bottom portion at 5. Upper and lower doors 6, 7 are respectively hinged at 8, to the top portion 4 and at 9 to the bottom portion 5. The lower edge of the upper door and the upper edge of the lower door cooperate to form an exit opening l2 for the toweling, when the doors are closed. The top door has a mirror 13. The back'l has key-hole slots l@ for hanging the cabinet on the wall.

The hinge for the upper door is composed of a pair of arms i4 rigidly secured to the door. The arms are adapted to engage stops 15, as in Fig. l, to limit upward motion. The lower door when open serves as a loop measurer. doors` closed ,or open.

Springs 16, 17 (see Fig. 12) hold the;

The lower door 7 has a structure 18 for holding the toweling spaced outwardly from the lower door. This structure is formed by punching the sheet metal of the door. rThe doors are adapted to be locked in closed position by'means generally designated `20, the ends of keepers of which engage slots 21 of the plates of an inner unit, later to be described. The lock and key are shown in Fig. 4. When the upper door is locked neither door canbe opened, means (not shown) 'being provided for this purpose. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the doors have lateral flanges 22, over-lapping the sides 2 and 3, and`fitting recesses provided by inwardly offsetting the p front edges of the sides as at 23. The same flange and recess structure is used for the fixed top portion 4 (see Fig. 3) and the fixed bottom portion 5.

Inner unit and mechanism thereon The cabinet has a removable inner unit of novel structure on which is mounted the dispensing mechanism.

The unit comprises a back 24, and upright forwardly extending side plates 25, 26. The improvements herein relate principally to the unit, the dispensing mechanism, and the towel tensioning means. The plates 25, 26 are spaced inwardly from the sides 2 and 3 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) to provide vertical chambers 27, 28 respectively for roll driving means at the left and for the stop mechanism at the right. The plate has a lateral front flange 29 and the plate 26 has a lateral front iiange 30. The outer edges of the flanges respectively engage the inner surfaces of the sides 2 and 3 to center and steady these side plates 25 and 26.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The measuring roll is indicated at 34 the soiled towel take-up drive roll at 35, the soiled towel take-up roll at 36 andthe pinch roll at 37. Transmission of driving force from the measuring roll to the take-up drive roll is in part accomplished by sprocket chain 38 and the usual sprocket wheels.

Referring to Fig. 6. One of the sprockets 39 is fixed to a fixed trunnion d of the measuring roll. The other sprocket 4l is fixed to a trunnion 42 rotatable in bearings in the take-up drive roll 35. The means by which rotation of the drive roll is gradually started, is described herebelow.

The soiled towel take-up roll 36 has trunnions 45, which are guided in upright slots 46 of the plates 2S, 26. The clean towel supply roll is indicated at 47. The toweling 48 passes upwardly from its front, engages a guide bar d, and is then trained around the pinch roll 37 to lie between that roll'and be pressed against the measuring roll 34. through opening i2 thence downwardly in front of the hold-out 18, thence downwardly to form a loop below the cabinet, thence upwardly behind the partition and tensioning plate 5l) to the takeup roll 36.

The inner unit is detachably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5) oy means including two lower sockets 5l formed by punching out the metal of rear wall 1, and by upper finger-like sockets 52 formed in the same manner. The back 24 of the unit has vertical bottom projections 53 fitting the sockets Si, and has top openings 54 (see Fig. 3) of larger area than that of the fingers S2. The relations of the sockets to the projections 53 and openings 54 are such that the unit can be connected to the sockets by first registering the openings S4 with the upper linger sockets 52, then moving the unit rearwardly to engage its back with the rear wall 1, then moving the unit downwardly to cause the projections 53 to enter the lower sockets Sl, and the upper edges of the openings 54 to enter the upper nger sockets 52.

Screw openings 56 are provided in the back walls of the unitand outer casing only to secure the parts for shipping. When in use the inner unit is securely held at four points, by gravity and frictional actions. Heretofore the unit was in part secured in operative position The toweling passes outwardly four point securing means.

Soiled towel tensioning and smoothing means Referring to Fig. 2. A new towel tensioning and smoothing means is herein provided, in which two of the straight edges are formed of one piece with the back wall 24 of the inner unit. This is accomplished by punching the back inwardly to provide an upper straight edge Si aani a lower edge S8, and a rearwardly extending recess 59.

The partition and tension plate is pivoted at opposite ends as at 60 to the plates 25 and 26, and forms the rear wall of the clean towel chamber.

The upper end of the partition plate 50 has thereon upper and lower straight edges 61, 62 providing a smaller recess 63. These edges are adapted to enter between the edges 57, 55, to press the toweling against all straight edges and define a tortuous path for the toweling. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, opposite ends of the partition plate 59, are cut away as at 64 to receive the lower lateral towel guide fingers 65, when the plate 5t) is moved to the position of Fig. 2. The upper guide lingers are shown at 66. Fingers 65 and 66 are rigidly secured to portions of the structure which provides the straight edges 57 and 58.

When plate 56 is moved forwardly as in Fig. l, space is provided for the upward passage of the hand and toweling for attaching the toweling to thesoiled towel take-up roll 36.k The rear end of the bottom 5 is spaced forwardly to permit this upward passage. The plate 5i) is positively held, in smoothing position by a pair of bars adapted to be held against outward motion by the lower door.

The partition plate Sil has lateral fianges 67 vertically slotted as at 65. One control bar 69 (see Fig. 5) is on the outer side of plate 25 and has a rear finger 7i) which is guided in a horizontal slot 7l of plate 25 and this finger extends through the vertical slot 68. The forward end of the bar extends through and slides in a vertical slot 72 of flange 29, and the outer end of the bar is engaged by the lower door 7, when closed, to secure the plate in its towel tensioning position of Figs. 2 and 5.

The other control bar 75 (see Figs. 4 and 5) is on the inside of plate 26 and has oppositely extending fingers at the rear, one finger 76 guided in the horizontal slot 71 and the other finger 77 extending through the vertical slot 68 of the plate Si). Referring to Figs. 3, 5 and 12. The front end ofthe bar 75 slides in strap-like guide 79 formed by cutting, and punching the metal of plate 26 inwardly as shown. Thus the outer fiat face of plate 26, is left clear to permit flat face-to-face engagement of the new slide stop guide cover herebelow described. The front end of the bar '75 'does not extend through a flange as bar 69 does, but its outer end is engaged by the door 7, as in Fig. 5.

Mechanism for driving the take-up drive roll Before describing the anti-slip drive mechanism provided herein, some further explanation of the relation of winding tension to dispensing action will be helpful. As

has been previously noted, the soiled towel take-up roll 36 is gravity-pressed against the soiled towel take-up drive roll 35. Some slippage therefore occurs (in the devices now in general use) between the soiled towel take-up drive roll and said take-up roll, because of the abrupt manner in which rotation of the take-up drive roll is started when the toweling is yanked or pulled out by the user. 0n the other hand it is desirable to put as much winding tension on the soiled toweling as possible to obtain relatively tight winding of the material on the take-up roll, to in turn obtain better driving action. But when more winding'tension is applied more slippage occurs. Since more slippage occurs when the toweling is not wound tightly enough, and since additional winding tension also causes slippage, a d'icult problem has heretofore been posed. I have found a way to prevent undue slippage from either cause or from both of the above mentioned causes, by applying the driving force for the soiled towel take-up drive roll gradually, during dispensing action.

Thus less driving slippage occurs, because the toweling is wound tighter, and tighter Winding is obtained without slippage due to towel tension. Undue slippage heretofore due to sudden starting of drive roll rotation is also substantially overcome, so that loop length can be properly maintained. By gradually applying driving power as above mentioned, tighter Winding is possible which in itself improves feeding action, and starting and stopping slippage is substantially overcome.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6 to l1. The means for gradually applying driving force to the take-up drive roll comprises (see Fig. 6) pairs of outer and inner ilanged bearing disks, fixed within the measuring and take-up drive rolls as shown. The outer disk for the measuring roll is designated 81, the inner disk 82. A stub shaft or trunnion is non-rotatable xed by a screw 83 to disk 81 and the outer end of this trunnion rotates in bearing 84 of plate 25.

rlhe outer bearing disk for the take-up drive roll is designated 85, and the inner disk 86. In these disks the trunnion 42 rotates and this trunnion rotates in bearing S7 of the plate 25. The trunnions are connected by chain 38, and sprocket elements 39 and 41. The sprockets are non-rotatably fixed to outer squared ends '88 of the trunnions 40, 42 and are held by screws 89.

The trunnion 42 has a radial arm 90 xed thereto, and this arm has an opening 91. On the outer side of the outer disk 85 is stop iinger 92 struck out from the disk 85, and the arm is stiffened by marginal anges 93, which at the outer end of the arm provides two inward projections 94, the outer sides of which can alternately engage opposite sides of the linger or lug 92, see Figs. 7 and 8. The disk 85 has an outstruck lug or iinger 95 diametrically related to lug 92.

A pre-tensioned coiled spring 96 surrounds the trunnion 42 and has one end 97 engaged with lug 95 and the other end 9S engaged in the opening 91 of the arm 90. The degree of pre-tensioning of the spring is important in relation to the desired gradual or lag application of driving force to the take-up drive roll, in a manner to avoid slippage. Generally speaking it is best to use a quality of spring which will obtain driving movement of the drive roll as the spring is wound, and which will complete take-up action before it is fully wound. The lug 92 limits winding action to within an arc of less than three hundred and sixty degrees.

In Fig. ll the arm 90 is shown as during winding, and while dispensing is occurring. Thus there is a cushioned ydriving action. Because of unavoidable over-rapid, or violent dispensing action sometimes applied by impatient users, provision is made for positive driving action, after full winding, but prevention of over-winding. Even though the arm 90 may engage the lug 92, as in Fig. 8, it will engage it after the take-up drive roll has been gradually started and while it is moving', so that there will be no violent impact of arm with lug. This, because both will be travelling in same direction, with the arm moving to overtake the lug. The engagement will not therefore be a jarring one, such as might cause driving slippage between the take-up roll and the take-up drive roll. Ordinarily the entire take-up action will occur while the spring is in its cushioning condition.

It will be noted that although rotation of the measuring roll may suddenly begin and be rapidly completed,

, yet there will be no corresponding sudden application of driving force to the take-updrive roll, but this'action will lag behind dispensing action because of the resilient cushioning action ofthe spring. This graduated anti-jar driving action is believed to be entirely new as a means for overcoming slippage between a take-up drive roll and a take-up roll. However this principle may be advantageously applied in other environments in which gradual application of driving force by one roll to another is desired. The application of driving force is at iirst resilient but by the use of the arm and lug 92, may become non-resilient or positive.

It is obvious that the spring may be put in the measuring roll, in which case the trunnion will rotate, and the measuring `roll will drive and wind the spring instead of having the trunnion do so, as is shown in Fig. 6. This is mentioned because some of the claims are not limited to use of the spring in the take-up drive roll. Measuring roll use of the spring seems so obvious `that no illustration of the structure has been included.

Pinch roll and guard plate structures This phase of my invention relates to improved mounting of the pinch roll for preventing such action of said roll, as would allow towel slippage due to accidental separation of the pinch roll from the measuring roll.

Although the toweling is wrapped around the pinch roll and a down-pull of the toweling forces the pinch roll into firmer contact with the toweling on the measuring roll, yet because of the previous bearing construction for the pinch roll, occasional rise of the said roll, and consequent towel slippage could and did occur, even though the roll was being pulled downwardly by the toweling. This resulted from the use-of upright slots in the plates 25, 26 of the inner unit and the use of trunnions on the pinch roll, traversing, riding in and guided by said slots. With this old construction the trunnions climbed in the slots, due to the friction-pressurerotative relations of the trunnions with the upright sides of the slots, and because the toweling pull on the pinchroll tended to strongly force the trunnions against the front sides of the slots. This old relation of pinch roll to slots isillustrated in Birr et al. Patent 2,255,609, wherein down pull on the toweling acts to wedge the pinch roll between the measuring roll and the slot'and trunnion bearings, forcing the trunnions against the forward sides of the slots. ln the present invention the trunnions do not engage the slots, since the trunnions are journalled in bearing links which are pivoted to the plates of the inner unit, to allow the pinch roll to be raised as in Figure l, to permit the toweling to be wrapped around the roll. The plates 25, 26, however act asy before to prevent undue axial motions of the pinch roll.

Referring to Eigs. 2, 3 and 4. The pinch roll 37 has trunnions 99 rotatable in link-like plates 100 which lie between the ends of the roll 37 and the plates 25, 26. The links 100 are pivoted at their inner ends to a pivot bar 101 which in 'this form of the invention serves as a pivot for the usual shield plate 102 which serves to prevent engagement between the clean toweling on the pinch roll 37 and the soiled toweling on the take-up roll 36. The pivot bar 101 is supported in plates 25, 26.

The trunnions 99 of the pinch roll 37 may extend outwardly through slots 103 in plates 25 and 26 but these arcuate slots have no guiding function. The' plate 102 has lateral stop projections 104 which extend outwardly through and ride in arcuate slots .109 vof plates 25, 26; the upper ends of these slots serve to limit upward swinging movement of plate 102, and the lower ends of the slots 109 serve to limit downward motion of plate 102 to prevent engagement of th plate with either the pinch roll or the measuring roll.

In Fig. 16 a modication of the pinch roll bearing has been shown. In this structure the bearing links 106 are extended rearwardly and are pivoted to the trunnions 107 ofthe soiled towel take-up drive roll 35. The pinch roll 37 has its trunnions 99 rotatable in the outer ends of the links as in the iirst form of the invention. In

this case the guard plate 102 is pivoted as at 108 to the links 106, instead of to the upright plates 2S, 26 of the `inner unit, so that the pinch roll and the guard plate can 'trunnions 99 extend outwardly through the arcuate slots 103. These trunnions engage the upper ends 19S of the slots as stops,`as best understood from Figs. l and 2.

vIn Fig. 16 the rear part of the right hand link and the forward part of the left hand link, are shown. These links have open end slots 110 so that they can be releasibly attached to the trunnions 107 of the take-up drive roll 35. They can be attached by a simple downward movement, and as simply released. It will be understood that the links are disposed between the ends of the rolls 34 and 35 and the inner side of plate 25, and that the ends of rolls 34, 35, are spaced away from the plates 25, 26, sufciently to permit free swinging movement of the pinch roll links 186, and to permit their attachment to or detachment from the trunnions 167.

Slide-stop guide Referring to Figs. l2, 13 and l5, another feature of the invention is the means for freely slidably guiding one of the stop elements of a time-stop mechanism, in a manner to obtain a much stronger mounting for the slide-stop and at the same time overcome the tendency of the slidestop to rock and bind against the guide means, after the movable stop somewhat violently engages it. This slidestop must be free for gravity movement.

The slide-stop guide of this invention is an improvement over that of Patent 2,298,882, which patent discloses a stop mechanism of the same general type as the one herein. In the prior patent, as herein, the slide-stop is submitted to hammer-like lateral blows when the movable stop engages the slide-stop and forces said movable stop against a stationary backing plate.`

The improvement herein is specific to the particular solved by providing a thin slide having long extreme lateral guiding surfaces of minimum transverse area on the slide-stop itself, and on cooperating portions of a one-piece cover or inclosing element, which operatively secures the slide fiatly against the flat plate 26. The guiding surfaces are located at the extreme or maximum distance from a vertical center line of reciprocation which passes through the axes of the vacuum cups. rthe guiding surfaces are symmetrical in relation to this line.

Referring to Figs. 3, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The stop 114 has the form of a hat plate, having one of its flat faces of greatest area engaged with the hat outer surface of the right upright plate 26 of the inner unit. This stoppiate has eiongated upright stopping edges 115, 116. At the bottom a portion of the stop-plate is bent out to form a shelf 117 upon which is secureda vacuum cup 118. At the top a portion 119 of the stop-plate is bent out and shaped to provide a pivot projection 129, on which a stop operating link 121 is swingably secured. At the top the left side of the stop is cut away as at 122. The stop-plate has an opening 123 for somewhat reducing the area of contact between the stop and the plate 26. The bent out portion 119 is engaged by the rotative stop 124, attached to the measuring roll. v

Of equal importance with the structure of the slide plate is the means for securing it in operative position,

and so 'guiding it as to obtain sufficient freedom of action, without'binding, and atthe same time to provide strength to withstand the pounding action or impact of the rotatory second stop 124, as it engages the right upper portion 119 of thestop-plate 114, and presses the'upper part of edge 11S against the right edge of the impact-taking element 125.

The cross-sectional shape of the guide means is best shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15. It is essentially a three sided cover, in which the inner vertical surfaces of the two narrow sides 126, 127 are engaged by the edges 115, 116 of the slide-stop 114, and in which the inner surface of the long or front side 128, is engaged by the outer surface 129 of the slide-stop 114. The front side 128, of the guide is cut away as at 131) to allow the shelf 117 to project therethrough and to reduce the contact area of the front side 128 with the slide 114. By cutting or stamping to provide the opening, metal is provided to form an upper shelf 131 to the bottom of which a second vacuum cup 132 is secured.

The guide cover is rigidly held in operative position at three points by means of three bent-out lateral extensions, 133, 134, 13S one at the bottomand two on opposite sides near the top; through openings in which extensions screws 136 pass and are threaded into the plate 26.

The guide cover is formed of a single sheet of heavy metal, as a stamping and has the various elements heretofore described. I believe it is new in this art to have long vertical narrow guide edges on the slide 114 engaging long vertical narrow surfaces of a three sided boxing '128 which virtually encloses the entire slide when in non-stopping position, and practically encloses, and acts as an ecient guide for the slide when in stopping position.

In the before mentioned patent, the slide was not guided by a cover, nor by means engageable by the outermost or extreme vertical edges of the slide, but by a stationary bracket of short vertical height, the short edges of which were'engaged by the corresponding edges of a vertical opening of the slide. Parts of this bracket were engaged by the front surface of the slide to hold the slide against wall of the inner unit. At the bottom the slide had a guide slot, traversed by a guide pin threaded into the wall of the unit. This was not as strong a structure, nor as efficient an anti-rock and anti-jamb device, as is the structure herein.

The means for regulating the entry of air between the vacuum-attached cups is well known, and is shown in i atent 2,298,882, and is not claimed therein. However, the new slide-stop cover guide herein has openings 137 therein, the inner sides 138 of which form stops for 'limiting the rotative movement of an air intake regulator arm 139 (see Figs. 13 and 12) respectively at long-time and xshort-time positions, corresponding to slow and fast vacuum cup timer release actions as the indicia 140 shows in Fig. 13.

Normally the slide-stop is in the position of Fig. 12, with its uppermost end below the rotative path of the rotary stop 124. During dispensing the slide-stop 114 is pulled upwardly by link 121, until the vacuum cups are in vacuum-attached condition, at which time the upper end of the slide is interposed in the path of rotation of the second stop to arrest further rotation thereof.

It will be understood that the stop 124 is moved by the measuring roll 34. The back-off stop 141, and back-off spring 142 etc. are well known devices not claimed herein.

I claim as my invention:

l. A device of the class described comprising an upright plate in which one end of a measuring roll is'journailed, a stop mechanism for controlling said roll, including first and second stops, the first a slidable stop plate, and the second rotatable with the roll and adapted to engage the upper end of the stop plate for stopping action, said stop plate providing at its extreme outer right plate in which one end of a measuring roll is journalled, a stop mechanism for controlling said roll, including first and second stops, the'iirst a slidable stop plate, and the second rotatable with the roll and adapted to engage the upper end of the stop plate for stopping action, said stop plate providing at its extreme outer limits vertically elongated narrow guiding edges, and a guidecover securing said stop plate in operative relation to said upright plate and having vertically elongated narrow guiding surfaces engageable by said lateral guiding edges, said slide being adapted to lie within said cover when in non-stopping position, and adapted to project above the upper end of the cover to a distance which is a small fraction of its total length when at stopping position, whereby to provide for extensive guiding area engagement at the time of impact of the second stop with the stop plate, an impact-taking element on the upright plate engageable by the slide when in stopping position, and means by which the measuring roll moves the slide to stopping position and then releases it for gravity movement to non-stopping position.

3. A device of the class described comprising an upright plate in which one end of a measuring roll is journalled, a time-stop mechanism for controlling said roll, including lirst and second stops, the rst a slideable stop plate, and the second rotatable with the roll and adapted to engage the upper end of the plate for stopping action, said stop plate providing at its extreme outer limits vertically elongated narrow lateral guiding, edges and a guide-cover securing said stop plate in operative relation to said upright plate and having vertically elongated narrow y guiding surfaces engageable by said lateral guiding edges, whereby to provide for extreme lateral and extensive guiding area engagement, and said cover having an opening and said stop slide having a shelf projecting through the opening, and said cover having a shelf, means on said shelves adapted to hold said slide in stopping position for a timed period, and means by which the measuring roll moves the slide to stopping position and then releases it for gravity movement to non-stopping position at the end of the timed period.

4. In a towel dispensing cabinet including a rotatably mounted towel measuring roll, a rotatably mounted soiled towel take-up drive roll and a member rotated in response to rotation of said measuring roll; the combination comprising a rotatably mounted element, means responsive to rotation of said member for rotating said element, an elastic coupling device connected between said element and said drive roll for imparting gradual rotation to `said drive roll in response to rotation of said element, and mechanism responsive to a predetermined limited arc of rotation of said element with respect to said drive roll for electing a direct drive between said element `and said drive roll.

5. The towel dispensing cabinet combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said mechanism consists essentially of a stop carried by said drive roll and normally disposedy at a given angle ahead of said element so that after rotation of said element with respect to said drive roll through said arc of rotation said element engages said stop in order directly to drive said drive roll.

6. In a towel dispensing cabinet in which a predetermined amount of toweling is dispensed and taken-up during each of a plurality of towel dispensing operations and including a measuring roll for measuring the amount of clean toweling, dispensed -from the cabinet during each dispensing operation, a soiled towel take-up roll for winding up the soiled toweling as clean toweling is dispensed, and a drive roll forprotating the soiled towel take-up roll; the combination comprising a rotatable shaft upon which said drive roll can rotate, means including a coiled spring connecting said shaft and said drive roll, means coupling said measuring roll to said shaft so that rotation of said measuring roll during dispensing simultaneously rotates said shaft to wind said spring in a direction to transmit rotary movement gradually to said drive roll, whereby said soiled towel take-up roll is rotated to wind up soiled toweling after a short delay following the starting of the rotation of said measuring roll, `an arm fixed to said shaft and rotated therewith, and a stop secured to said drive roll in the path of rotation of said arm, whereby said arm and said stop cooperate with each other each time said shaft is rotated a predetermined angle of rotation ahead of said drive roll in order to provide a direct drive between said shaft and said drive roll.

7. The towel dispensing cabinet combination as set forth in claim 6,'wherein said spring continues to rotate said drive roll said predetermined angle of rotation after rotation of said shaft is stopped at the end of each towel dispensing operation. l

8. In a towel dispensing cabinet in which a predetermined amount of toweling is dispensed and taken-up during each of a plurality of towel dispensing operations `and including a4 measuring roll for measuring the amount of clean toweling dispensed from the cabinet during each dispensing operation, a soiled towel take-up roll for wind-y ing up the soiled toweling as clean toweling is dispensed,-

and a drive roll for rotating the soiled towel take-up roll; the combination comprising a rotatable shaft, a disk Within and Xed to said drive roll and in which disk said shaft rotates, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft having one end connected to said shaft and the other end connected to said disk, means coupling said measuring roll to said shaft so that rotation of said measuring roll during dispensing simultaneously rotates said shaft t0 wind said spring in a direction to gradually transmit rotary movement through said disk to said drive roll, whereby said soiled towel take-up roll is rotated to wind up soiled toweling after a short delay following the starting of the rotation of said measuring roll, an arm fixed to said shaft and rotated therewith, and a stop secured to said disk in the path of rotation of said arm so that said arm and said stop cooperate with each other each time said shaft is rotated a predetermined angle of rotation ahead of said disk in order to provide a direct drive between said shaft and said drive roll and so that said arm and said stop cooperate with each other each time rotation of said shaft is stopped to limit rotation of said disk by unwinding action of said spring said predetermined angle of rotation.

9. In a towel dispensing cabinet in which a predeter- `mined amount of toweling is dispensed and taken-up during each of a plurality of towel dispensing operations, and including a measuring roll and a cooperating pinch roll for measuring the amount of vclean toweling dispensed during each dispensing operation, a soiled towel take-up roll for winding up soiled toweling as clean toweling is dispensed, and a soiled towel take-up drive` roll driven by said measuring roll during each dispensing operation to rotate said soiled towel take-up roll; the combination comprising two oppositely disposed arms in said cabinet, rst journal means carried respectively at one end of said arms rotatably supporting said pinch roll therebetween, and second journal means carried respectively at the opposite end of said arms pivotally mounted in said cabinet to permit said pinch roll to swing in an are away from said measuring roll, said second journal means including trunnions for rotatably supporting said soiled towel take-up drive roll and including open slots in said arms to permit attachment and detachment with the trunnions of said drive roll.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Payne Dec. 27, 1892 Johnston Oct. 31, 1916 Steiner Aug. 13, 1929 Tyler Ian` 3, 1933 l0 Birr et a1 Nov. 30, 1937 

